Container



June 6, 1939. l c. A. HlRscHBERG CONTAINER Filed Sept. 5, 1956 E E E ATTORN EY Patented June 6, a1939 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application September 1 Claim.

'This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to a portable insulated container particularly adapted for transportation of various beverages in cans, such as beer, fruit or vegetable juices or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a container as specied for use in taking beer in ans, or similar beverages, on outings, which container may be easily carried andwill either maintain a quantity of cans of beverage cold for a protracted period, or may be rused for the chilling of the beverage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in a container as specified, removable baskets ory containers for the cans, which baskets may be easily removed from the main container; and also to provide a basket or container which may be used for ice, dry ice, vor other suitable refrigerant, or for carrying glasses or other desired objects, or both.V

With these and other objects in View, as may appear from the accompanying specication, the invention consists of various features of construction and combination of parts, which will be rst described in connection with the accompanying drawing, showing a container of the preferred form embodying the invention, and the features forming the invention will be specifically pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the improved container.

Figure 2 is a view partly in top plan of the container with the cover removed and partly in 35 horizontal section. Y

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the removable containers.

Figure 4 is a perspective view with parts broken away of a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the improved container comprises a main body I which in the preferred form shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing is cylindrical in shape, but it may be made in any shape desired without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The bottom 2 of the body I of the container has outstruck portions 3 thereon forming supporting feet for supporting the bottom of the container above the surface on which the container rests.

The body I of the container is made preferably of sheet metal, and it comprises the outer wall 4 and the inner wall 5 which are sealed at the top of the container by the horizontal wall 6.

The sheet metal of which the body I is formed is shaped to provide a central well 'l and a plurality 5, 1936, Serial No. 99,659

(Cl.A 220-16) of wells 8 which are preferably smaller in diam-- eter and are arranged about the central well l. The bottoms 9 of the wells are formed integrally with or connected to their sides and consequently with the sheet metal of which the container body is formed in such manner as to provide an airtight space between the inner and outer walls of the main body I of the container. In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, the space about the outer'v most portions of the wells 8 and the space at the bottom of the wells is shown filled with a suitable insulating material indicated at I0, with the space between the wells 8 and the well l' being free from insulating so as to permit cooling of the contents of the wells 8 from a suitable refrigerant which may be placed in the well l. However, while Figures 1 and 2 show the insulating I0 in the space in the main body of the container, it is to be understood that this space may have the air extracted therefrom to form a vacuum in the space between the inner and outer walls of the body I of the container for the purpose of maintaining the interior temperature of the wells and the contents thereof for a protracted period of time.

All of the wells 'l and 8 have removable baskets or containers I l inserted therein, and as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing. The removable containers II are preferably formed of mesh construction and they have bails I2 on their upper open ends to facilitate their removal from the respective Wells. The removable containers II which t in the wells 8 are of such diameter and depth as to receive snugly therein two cans of beer, one upon the other, as indicated at I3 in Figure 1 of the drawing. Thus with a container having six of the outer wells 8 therein, twelve cans of beer or analogous beverages can be contained in the container.

The central Well 'l is of the same depth as the outer wells 8, but is larger in diameter, and it also has a mesh or foraminous basket I I therein. The central well 'I may be used for containing glasses or any other suitable objects if desired, or it may be partially lled with a refrigerant, such as ice, dry ice, or the like. A horizontal partition I4 is provided so that the bottom portion of the removable container II in the well 1 may be chilled with the refrigerant and the upper portion thereof used for containing glasses or other suitable objects.

A removable cover I5 is provided which cover comprises spaced walls I6 with the space l1 therebetween either filled with insulation or provided as a vacuum space for insulating purposes.

The cover i6 ts tightly against the upper end 6 of the body l of the container and is clamped thereon by suitable removable clamps I8. If it is so desired, the cover I6 may have a recess I8 at its inner surface which provides a circulating space establishing communication between the central Well 1 and the plurality of Wells 8 so as to allow cooling of the cans in the Wells 8.

The cover I6 also has a vent nipple I9 therein which has a vent opening 20 therethrough opening into the central well 1, so that in case dry ice is used as a refrigerant an air circulation will be provided to permit the evaporation of the dry ice for the purpose of cooling the interior of the container. for plugging the vent opening 20 when the container is used Without dry ice.

In use, the cans of beer or other beverages a-re placed in the removable containers or baskets Il in the Wells 8, and if these cans of beverages are sufiiciently cold when placed in the removable container and no refrigerant is needed, the cover I6 is tightly clamped on the top of the container body I and due to the insulating properties of the container, the beer will be kept cold for a protracted period of time. When it is desired to remove the cans from the container, they may be easily and conveniently removed two at a time by removing the removable baskets or containers Il from the respective Wells. The large central Well 'l may be used as heretofore stated, either as a container for a suitable refrigerant, or as a container for glasses or other objects. When dry ice or other similar refrigerant requiring air circulation is used in the central Well l, the plug 2| is removed for permitting such air circulation, and in such cases, the beer or other beverage in the cans in the Wells 8 will be cooled by the refrigerating action of the refrigerant in the central well 1.

In Figure 4 of the drawing, a slight modifica- A suitable plug 2| may be provided tion of the invention is shown. In this form, the container body l is shown as rectangular in shape, and it has a central Well 1 and the plurality of smaller outer Wells 8. These Wells open out at one end of the container l instead of through the top of the container. A removable cover I6' is provided which is tightly clamped on the end of the container l by suitable clamps I8. Removable containers or baskets Il are provided for the Wells. In all other respects, the modied form of the container shown in Figure 4 is the same as the preferred form shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.

A suitable handle 24 is provided for carrying the container.

It will be understood that the invention is not tobe limited to the specic construction or arrangement of partsshown but that they may be Widely modied Within the invention defined by the claim,

What is claimed is: Y

In a container, an insulated body having a closed yflush top and a relatively large central Well and a, plurality of smaller Wells about said central Well all formed by depressions in the top, said wells extending from the interior of the bottom of the body to the ilush top, a removable closed insulatedcover for the body fitting flush With the top of the body and having sealing flanges about itsv edges for sealing engagement with the sides of thebody, meansvfor clamping said cover on said body, said cover having a recess in its inner surface establishing communication between said Wells, a vent opening in the cover and opening into saidrecess, a removable refnigerant receiving foraminous container in said central Well, and a removable partition in said foraminous container for positioning above refrigerant therein to form a receptacle receiving compartment in the central Well above the refrigerant.

CHARLES A. HIRSCI-IBERG. 

